1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an epidural-spinal needle. More specifically, it relates to a rail-guided puncture needle for combined epidural-spinal anesthesia.
2. Background Information
Puncture anesthesia is used in a variety of medical and surgical procedures. In a typical puncture anesthesia process, an epidural needle is first punctured into an epidural space, a spinal needle, guided by an inner lumen of the epidural needle, is then inserted to pierce the spine dura mater and the arachnoids mater associated to the epidural space to arrive at the subarachnoid space. An anesthetic agent may then be administrated into subarachnoid space through the spinal needle. After the spinal needle is withdrawn, an epidural catheter can be threaded into epidural space through the inner lumen of the epidural needle, so that continuous epidural anesthesia can be applied via the epidural catheter. Finally, the epidural needle is removed to complete the anesthesia puncture process.
A conventional epidural needle has a lumen formed therein. The spinal needle is inserted into the lumen, and the tip of the spinal needle passes through the lumen to pierce the spine dura mater and the arachnoids mater into subarachnoid space. After the spinal needle is withdrawn from the lumen, the epidural catheter is disposed into epidural space through the same lumen.